Pennsylvania category, Page 24
State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta looks to unseat Pa.’s top Republican in Auditor General’s race
PHILADELPHIA — What exactly does an auditor general do, anyway? It’s a question that candidates to become Pennsylvania’s auditor general frequently encounter when speaking with voters, and one that almost always comes down to taxes. When Pennsylvanians pay state taxes, those funds are deposited into the state’s treasury and eventually...
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Pennsylvania on Election Day
WASHINGTON — Pennsylvania voters are almost sure to play a pivotal role in the Nov. 5 general election, with control of the White House and both chambers of Congress and the state Legislature in the balance. With its 19 electoral votes, the commonwealth is the largest prize among the battleground...
Pennsylvania revenue secretary must appear before Senate or risk going to jail
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s revenue secretary is headed for a rare showdown on Tuesday in the Pennsylvania Senate that could potentially end with him going to jail. Revenue Secretary Pat Browne lost his quest to get the state Supreme Court to block the Senate Republicans’ effort to compel him to come...
Philly man accused of threatening to kill Western Pennsylvania political party worker over poll watching duties
A Philadelphia man is accused of threatening to kill and skin alive a state political party employee from Western Pennsylvania if the political worker did not respond to his request that he serve as a poll watcher in the upcoming presidential election. The suspect, John C. Pollard, 62, is accused...
McDonald’s agreed to Trump event but says it isn’t endorsing a presidential candidate
McDonald’s Corp. agreed to host former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania store over the weekend but said it isn’t endorsing a candidate in the U.S. presidential race. Trump staffed the fry station Sunday at a McDonald’s in suburban Philadelphia before answering questions through the drive-thru window. The restaurant was...
Is an end to Pa.’s 163-year ban on fortune telling in the cards? A tarot reader is suing to make it happen
It’s the time of year when our thoughts turn to witches, hauntings, and all manner of supernatural goings-on. But if accepting money to tell fortunes is part of your spooky season plans, tread carefully: It’s illegal in Pennsylvania. According to a state law from 1861, “Any person who shall pretend,...
Hundreds gather at Penn State to hear from former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy
UNIVERSITY PARK — Hundreds of Penn State students and community members stood in line on campus to hear former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speak and do a Q&A with audience members Thursday evening as part of Turning Point USA’s “You’re Being Brainwashed” tour. The event room in the Sparks...
Equipment, staffing make Allegheny County faster counting votes than Philadelphia area
This article is made possible through Spotlight PA’s collaboration with Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting. Sign up for Votebeat’s free newsletters here. A few relatively minor changes would allow Philadelphia to process mail ballots much faster and finish counting them much sooner after polls...
McCormick, Casey clash on abortion, guns and energy in final debate
HARRISBURG — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger David McCormick disagreed on clean energy policy, gun laws and abortion rights in a fast-moving debate Tuesday night as they accused each other of lying and shared a stage for the last time before the election. The 60-minute debate was...
Casey and McCormick face off in 2nd debateVideo
Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Republican challenger David McCormick meet for their second debate Tuesday evening. The 60-minute debate will air starting at 7 p.m., hosted by WPVI -TV in Philadelphia. Watch live from ABC News Live:...
Lawyers told to apologize for blasting recorded screams in a Philly neighborhood
PHILADELPHIA — Lawyers who blared a looped recording of a woman screaming as a test in their civil rights lawsuit against the city of Philadelphia must apologize in person and in writing to residents where the loud test took place, a federal judge ordered last week. U.S. Judge John F....
Supreme Court tosses out decision letting 18-year-olds carry guns during emergencies in Pennsylvania
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday tossed out a decision allowing 18-year-olds to openly carry guns during emergencies in Pennsylvania. There were no noted dissents in the high court’s brief order. It lets stand a ban on people aged 18 to 20 carrying guns in public during a declared...
Nominations sought for Pennsylvania’s 2026 Teacher of the Year
The state Department of Education invites residents to nominate candidates for the state’s 2026 Teacher of the Year. The Teacher of the Year program celebrates educators who’ve made significant contributions in their field. Nominations will be taken through Dec. 16. Finalists are recognized in Harrisburg each fall. The 2025 Teacher...
Casey, McCormick debating again after combative 1st meeting in battleground Senate race
HARRISBURG — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Republican challenger David McCormick meet for their second debate Tuesday evening, with control of the Senate on the line and tens of millions of dollars pouring into the race every week. During their first debate two weeks ago, Casey tried...
1-seat Democratic margin has Pa. House control up for grabs in fall voting
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s legislative Republicans would like to pass additional voter ID requirements, restrict abortion and make election changes to improve their odds of winning judicial races. Democrats want to bump up the state’s minimum wage and widen civil rights for LGBTQ people. In the closely divided General Assembly, those...
Pennsylvania voters to decide key statewide races in fall election
HARRISBURG — One job going before voters across Pennsylvania this fall keeps a watch over government agencies. A second handles the state’s money. And the third oversees hundreds of prosecutors. Republican incumbents Treasurer Stacy Garrity and Auditor General Tim DeFoor are running to keep their seats, while the race to...
McCormick narrows gap with Casey in Pennsylvania, new poll shows
PHILADELPHIA — Pennsylvania’s nationally watched U.S. Senate race is tightening, with Republican Dave McCormick now just 4 percentage points behind Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey, according to a new poll by The Inquirer, The New York Times, and Siena College. About 48% of respondents said they supported Casey, who is...
Children and adults transported to Pa. hospital after ingesting ‘toxic mushrooms’
PEACH BOTTOM TOWNSHIP — Children and adults were transported to a hospital in Pennsylvania Friday night after being sickened by mushrooms, authorities said. Emergency medical personnel responded to a report around 9:30 p.m. of 11 people becoming ill after ingesting the mushrooms in Peach Bottom Township, the Delta-Cardiff Volunteer Company...
Judge blocks vote to remove Penn State trustee
PHILADELPHIA — A Pennsylvania judge has blocked Penn State’s Board of Trustees from voting to remove a member who is suing the board over access to financial information, calling the vote potentially “retaliatory.” Board member Barry Fenchak, an investment advisor, believes the board has been paying unusually high advisory fees...
Cornel West to appeal after judge denies spot on Pa. presidential ballot
A federal judge on Thursday said third-party presidential candidate Cornel West cannot have his name placed on Pennsylvania’s ballot — despite the court’s concerns over how state election laws treat minor-party candidates. “Common sense tells the court that we are less than one month from a presidential general election,” wrote...
The (basically) secret list of campaign donations by no-bid contractors
This story first appeared in The Investigator, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring the best investigative and accountability journalism from across Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — Every year, government agencies in Pennsylvania award contracts — sometimes worth millions of dollars — without going through the traditional bidding process meant to ensure...
Judge blocks Penn State board from voting to remove a trustee who has sought financial records
PHILADELPHIA — A Pennsylvania judge has blocked Penn State’s Board of Trustees from voting to remove a member who is suing the board over access to financial information, calling the vote potentially “retaliatory.” Board member Barry Fenchak, an investment advisor, believes the board has been paying unusually high advisory fees...
Pa. legislators approve bill outlawing sharing of deepfake porn
HARRISBURG — Legislation making it illegal to share deepfake pornography generated with artificial intelligence and without the subject’s consent cleared both chambers of the Pennsylvania General Assembly on Wednesday. Senate Bill 1213, which also outlaws AI-generated child pornography, moves to the desk of Gov. Josh Shapiro to be signed into...
Pennsylvania state system seeks $40.3M funding boost, eyeing 7th year of frozen tuition
The board governing Pennsylvania’s 10 state-owned universities is asking for a 6.5% increase, or $40.3 million more, in next year’s state budget. This increase could allow for a seventh annual tuition freeze. The request for 2025-26, approved unanimously by the State System’s Board of Governors Thursday, would bring the state...
Trump is counting on Pennsylvania’s rural voters to win. Will it be enough?
EPHRATA, Pa. — Rob Warihay is a busy man. He farms 4,000 acres from Dover, Delaware, to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and he owns a construction company based in his home, Lancaster County. As he waited for his daughter to show her dairy beef steer at the Ephrata Fair last week, he...
